


The Song in Her Ear

by Ninestar



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-19 23:09:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11908143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninestar/pseuds/Ninestar
Summary: Emma has a song stuck in her head. She can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it until Regina helps solve her problem.





	The Song in Her Ear

**Author's Note:**

> This story popped into my head one day, it was completely different from what you're about to read, but the muse does what she wants. I beta'd this myself, so if there are any errors, I apologise.

The song just won’t stop. The song pops into her head when she showers, when she's driving around in the bug, and especially when she's trying to fall asleep. It's been so many days with the song looping around her skull that Emma Swan finds it hard to even remember a day when it wasn't in her ear.

It isn't until one day at the station when Regina stops in to give Emma some paperwork when the song becomes too much to bear. Emma tries to place her hands over her ears to get the music to stop.

“Do you hear that?” the visibly disturbed sheriff shouts at the Mayor.

Regina, trying to maintain all of her composure, doesn't know what to make of the display happening in front of her. “Sheriff Swan, what, may I ask are you doing?”

Emma can barely hear the woman over the song in her head. “That damn song! Where is it coming from?”

“Language, Miss Swan, and no, I don't hear any music. If you're quite done, I brought several forms you need to sign for the upcoming Pixie day.” Regina continues to ignore the strange behaviour coming from her friend, the upcoming deadline looming too heavily on her mind.

Emma slowly takes the hands off her ears and notices no change in the volume of the music. With a sigh, she reaches towards the papers Regina is holding. When the pile is handed over their fingers make the slightest of contact and the song stops. Emma immediately drops the papers.

“It stopped.” she whispers, voice full of confusion.

Regina gives her a slight frown, “I expect those to be signed and on my desk by tomorrow morning. Perhaps you should go speak to the cricket after you've dropped them off.” Regina’s voice laced with cool disinterest.

Noting that the sheriff is busy dancing around the office and rambling about the stopped music Regina turns to leave the building. Emma fails to notice both the departure and Regina pulling out her phone to take a quick picture before exiting.

Emma's reprieve is short lived, when the song starts back up after what seems like only a few moments. Screaming is the only thing Emma can thing to do, and that's exactly what she does.

Eventually, Emma’s anger turns to frustration and she then notices the forgotten papers scattered on the floor. She takes care to pick them up without creasing them because she knows Regina is a stickler for perfection, and crinkled paper just won't due for the former Queen.

After all of the paperwork is finished she glances at the clock and decides she has enough time to bring them to the Mayor's office before Regina leaves. She figures she might as well score some bonus points with the Mayor, and maybe once the work is done, she can drink until she passes out and escape the damn song for a few hours.

Regina is sitting at her desk staring at her own stack of papers when Emma walks into the office.

“Here, I finished them.” The sheriff presents the stack of papers.

A perfectly sculpted eyebrow is cocked from the other side of the desk, the only sign of surprise that is allowed to slip through the mask. “Thank you, Miss Swan. Please set them down here.”

Emma does as instructed and places the papers on the desk before taking a seat in the plush chair facing Regina.

“Are you feeling better Sheriff?” Regina asks.

Emma can't help the slight shock that appears on her face, “I just, you really can't hear that?” She asks over the music in her head.

“I assure you I don't hear anything. What is it that you hear?”

Emma runs her hands over her face and takes a breath before beginning, “It's a song, over and over, it just keeps playing. It's been days. I thought if anyone else would be able to hear it, it would be you. ”

Regina studies Emma looking for any hint of sarcasm, but she becomes concerned when she finds none. “When exactly did this start?”

Emma tries to remember the exact date but the damn song is making everything in her brain wonky. “Uh, last Tuesday or maybe Sunday I can't remember.”

Regina runs through the past few days trying to think of the recent bad guys they faced, and if any of them would have any sort of mind control power. Failing to identify any suspects Regina turns to the other likely culprit.

“And what did you touch that you shouldn't have?” Regina asks, her voice light and teasing.

Emma looks sheepishly back at the Mayor, she too realises that she's probably done this to herself. “So that's another problem, can't remember. I mean I don't think I touched anything when we fought that Cookie Monster wannabe last week.”

“Emma that wasn't a Cookie Monster that was a…. never mind” Regina cuts herself off, absolutely not because the creature had actually been blue and only ate cookies, nope not at all. “The important thing is that we need to make sure you're not under a spell or anything else that can harm you. Have you noticed any other symptoms?”

“Nope just this damn song. And why this song? Why can't it be a radio station and it plays other things, not just this one song?”

“Perhaps the song is the answer?” Regina stands and walks around her desk. “What song is it?”

“See that's the thing, I know the song but I can't think of the name. I know it but every time I try to sing the words or think of the name it’s like my mind goes blank.” Emma’s eyes look down and she feels like she’s disappointed Regina.

“Hmm. This is quite the conundrum. I don’t think you should be patrolling until we figure this out.” Regina sighs and leans on her desk, looking down at the Sheriff.

Emma does not miss the use of the word ‘we’. Her eyes light up for just a moment before she thinks about the rest of the sentence. “No, nope. I need to patrol, we had cookie monster last week and the Lost Boys are out of school for the summer, I need to be out there.”

Regina sighs, “Emma, think about this for a moment. You’re having an auditory hallucination that’s been on going for several days, we don’t know the cause, or if it will progress. It could very well become overwhelming at the exact time you need your senses. I’m sure your father and Deputy Fa can handle the Lost Boys. As for any threats of the magical variety, I’ll get Zelena to help out.”

“But..” Emma starts as she gets up from the chair.

Regina cuts her off, “No. This is not an option Miss Swan. You cannot be out there until I... we, fix this.” Emma notes the way Regina’s eyes widened just a touch at the slip-up, but now is not the time to call it out, she’ll file it for later.

“Fine. But you’re not docking my vacation days for this.”

“Deal.” The two share a smile before getting to work on finding a cure for whatever is going on with Emma. First, they call Henry and get him to meet them at the diner where they try a true love’s kiss with him, but it doesn’t work. Emma is excited to have still gotten lunch out of the effort.

After lunch and the attempted TLK Henry heads to his grandparent’s while Emma and Regina head to the library to speak with Belle. Emma watches with admiration as Regina and Belle begin discussing potential leads. She is jolted with a feeling she can’t quite name when Regina summons and puts on her reading glasses.

It’s late when the trio finishes digging through books, finding nothing that is helpful. Regina tells Emma that she will be staying at the Mayoral Mansion, and Emma doesn’t even try to argue. She’s exhausted when she climbs under the covers of the guest bed. The mental stress of trying to not go insane with the same song looping over and over is truly getting to her, she isn’t sure how much more she can take.

She’s been staring at the ceiling for the past two hours willing herself to sleep to no avail. She gets up from the bed and goes on a mission to find liquor, the one thing that Emma knows will work. She heads down the stairs to Regina’s study and finds the lights on. Regina is hunched over in her chair, face down on a book. Emma wishes she had her phone to take a picture of this moment, but not to embarrass her, but rather to keep a memory of how innocent and unguarded Regina is in this moment. She knows Regina can’t be comfortable in that position and will definitely wake up in pain if left undisturbed.

Emma silently enters the room and quietly says Regina’s name. She stirs but does not fully wake. Seeing what she was studying when she fell asleep tugs at Emma’s heart, she isn’t giving up on helping Emma. Emma walks around the desk and with the gentlest touch she scoops Regina into her arms. She’s so concerned about the woman now in her arms that it isn’t until she places the woman onto her bed and pulls the duvet over her that she notices the song has stopped.

Emma makes her leave from the room and heads back to the guest bed. That’s twice now that the song has gone away, and both times were when she touched Regina. Emma isn’t the smartest but even she knows that this isn’t merely a coincidence. She lays back down in the bed and contemplates how to tell Regina this new information without sounding really creepy.

Emma laughs a little when she imagines telling Regina that she just needs to touch her at all times to regain her sanity, that would so go over well. Emma then starts to imagine touching Regina in a whole different way and that makes the laughter stop. Emma groans, is now she turned on beyond belief in Regina’s house, in Regina’s guest bed and there’s no way she can relieve her situation. Suddenly she can’t get the image of Regina walking in on her masturbating out of her mind. It’s going to be a very long night and she never did get that drink.

\--------

The morning sun wakes Emma up, it takes only a microsecond for her to hate everything again. The fucking song is back. Wait. She sits bolt upright in bed, she knows how to make it stop.

Emma runs down the stairs and finds Regina sitting at the table drinking coffee and staring at her.

“Where’s the fire, Miss Swan?” Regina sasses.

“I figured it out!” Emma is so excited, she's almost screaming. “I have to touch you!”

Thankfully Regina had already put her coffee down on the table because otherwise there would have been coffee everywhere. “Excuse me?”

“Wait that came out wrong didn’t it?” Emma laughs awkwardly. “Lemme try this again. Last night when I carried you to bed the song stopped. The only other time it stopped is when our fingers brushed yesterday.”

“Has the song returned?” Regina asks.

“Yes but that’s not the point,” Emma replies and grabs Regina’s hand. Again the music stops as soon as their skin meet.

“Oh thank god. See it stopped again.” Emma sits down next to Regina but does not release her hand.

Regina looks down at their intertwined fingers and smiles for just a half second. “That is very interesting. I suppose now we must find out how long our contact is effective.” Regina removes her hand from Emma’s and studies her face looking for any signs of change. She notes the hint of sadness as their physical connection is severed.

Green eyes and brown eyes meet, and perhaps the physical connection is gone, but neither can deny the emotional connection that’s playing between the women. Emma wishes she could just tell Regina how she feels about her, but she can’t, she would be devastated if Regina rejected her, so instead, she sits and stares into the eyes of the woman she loves.

The song comes back twenty minutes after they stopped touching. Regina makes note of this on her phone. Emma suggests more experiments, hand holding gets her twenty minutes of sanity but what about high fiving, hugging, massaging, cuddling, kissing, making love. Okay, Emma only suggests the high fives and the hugs but her mind immediately imagines the other ideas.

Regina seems amicable to attempting different touching ideas. Emma already is loving this day.

Regina texts Belle updates on the situation and immediately turns her screen off when Belle texts back. Emma really wants to know what Belle texted her.

“What did she say?” Emma tries her hardest not to let her voice sound jealous.

“Oh, um, she um, suggested we try some more touching research.” Regina looks slightly flustered, and now Emma really wants to know what Belle texted.

After hours of various touches and timers, the two finally give up on the experiment. Twenty minutes is the standard reprieve Regina’s touch gives Emma. Emma volunteers to grab dinner but Regina refuses, she instead asks Emma what she would like her to make for dinner. Emma sits hypnotised as she watches Regina make lasagna, sure she had seen Regina making food before, but all this touching was really starting to get to her

Once Regina puts the lasagna in the oven to cook she turns her attention back to Emma. The two begin to discuss a system of how they can make sure the song doesn't come back until they can get rid of it for good. They both also slowly realise that after not hearing the song most of the day sleeping tonight will be impossible for Emma unless Regina is touching her. Regina doesn't seem to mind this detail, she actually seems to be encouraging it. Emma tries not to get her hopes up.

When dinner is finished Regina begins to clean up, but Emma is having none of that. “you cooked, I clean” she states with enough firmness that Regina doesn't argue. Instead, she pours herself a glass of wine and watches Emma work. Emma feels eyes upon her whilst cleaning the dishes and she first thinks that Regina is making sure she's doing the job up to impossible standards, but as the moments continue and her intermittent glances over to the woman are continually met with gleaming hazel eyes, she begins to reconsider.

Never being one for silence Emma tries to make small talk but Regina's voice seems distracted. It's almost as if she's staring at Emma but her mind is focused on something or somewhere else. Emma gives up after a few moments and lets her concentrate on whatever she's deep in thought about.

The timer goes off and brings Regina back from wherever her mind had been. She suddenly stands and moves behind Emma. She wraps her arms around her, just for a moment and then Emma is left alone in the kitchen. Emma isn't sure what just happened but she really wishes the hug would have lasted longer.

She walks into the study in hopes of finding Regina but the study is dark and empty. She checks the living room and finds another empty room. Hesitantly she makes her way up the stairs, she isn't sure she's allowed up here, but she can't think of where else the brunette could be.

She hears a noise come from down the hall and makes her way towards that room. She pokes her head into the room and calls out to Regina who is standing facing a giant bed. Regina jumps slightly but turns to face Emma.

“Hey uh, where did you go? You disappeared. I hope it's okay I'm up here.” Emma is visibly nervous.

Regina has an expression on her face that Emma can only think of as apprehensive. “We have to talk sleeping arrangements.”

“Uh, okay. I'm fine sleeping in the guest room again and…”

“No.” Even Regina looks a little startled at the force of how the word comes out of her mouth. “There's no need for that, especially with your problem. You will sleep here.”

Emma can't believe the words she thinks she's just heard, “Here? Like here, here?” She tries and fails to not let her voice squeak.

“Here. We're both adults and I assume you want to sleep without that song, am I correct?” Regina asks.

“Yes to both. I, uh, will try to stay on my side as much as possible. Thanks for doing this, I know you probably thought I was crazy at first but, really, thanks, Regina.”

Regina smiles, ever so slightly but Emma sees it all the same. “You're welcome, Emma. Now, I know it's early but I am exhausted, and am going to shower before possibly having a night cap, then turning in for the evening.”

Emma smirks, “I like your thinking. I'll call Henry and see how he's doing while you're in the shower. When you're done I'll hand him over to you and take a shower myself.”

Emma watches as Regina walks closer and places a hand on her face, leaving it there for just a moment before tucking a few strands of hair behind Emma's ear. Before she can think to move or even breathe Regina is retreating back to shower.

Emma forces a breath from her lungs and has to struggle to regain her train of thought. She blinks a few times before turning to go find the landline. She must absolutely not think of Regina in the shower, naked, lathered in soap, rubbing herself. Pull it together Swan!

Emma is updating Henry on the status of their Operation, he had wanted to call it Operation Karaoke but Emma absolutely refuses to call it that, simply calling it the Operation. They both agree that Regina was the key and that Emma herself was probably to blame for the situation.

Henry is telling Emma about his upcoming plans to learn some forest tracking skills with Snow when she hears Regina coming down the stairs and approaching the kitchen. Emma turns to look and almost drops the phone. Regina is wearing the smallest silk robe Emma has ever seen. Emma’s eyes trace over every single inch of skin that is now on display, starting from the woman’s feet moving to the long toned legs that stretch all the way up to thighs that Emma wishes were wrapped around her head. Her eyes then take in the shapely hips that the robe covered, before tracking up to the swell of the Evil Cleavage, Emma’s eyes lingered there for just a few extra seconds before they continued their exploration of the woman’s skin. When Emma finally raises her eyes enough to meet Regina’s she couldn't believe was she was seeing, Regina’s face was flushed, her pupils dilated, and Emma could have sworn she saw a tongue come out to wet the lips that Emma longed to kiss. She is broken from her haze by her son’s voice, she completely forgot she was supposed to be listening to him.

“Uh, I, uh,” she clears her throat, trying to dampen the arousal that was coursing through her veins. “Um, sorry Henry, your mom just came over. Here..” She thrusts the phone towards Regina, not even looking at her because she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t make a further fool out of herself if she looked.

She makes her way to the guest room to pick up some clothes she had in her bag and walks into the bathroom. She tries to not think of Regina while in the shower, but that just seems to make her think about her even more. She groans in discomfort, and for the second day in a row, Emma has to talk herself down from masturbating in Regina’s house.

Emma is shivering by the time she gets out of the cold shower, still aroused, but the way her nipples hurt from the cold seems to override the arousal, and Emma can at least focus on other things, for the moment, like the damn song which had returned.

After putting on a pair of shorts and a tank top Emma takes a few deep breaths and mentally psychs herself up for this evening. She opens the door and steps into the hall. Emma puts her dirty clothes in her bag and then goes off in the direction of Regina’s room.

She finds the woman in the bedroom, already under the covers. Emma quietly enters the room and wonders if she should say something to the woman who has not looked away from the book she is reading. Deciding to be brave she starts, “So, uh, you gave up on that nightcap?”

Brown eyes flicker up to meet hers, an unreadable look flashes through them before Regina speaks, “I found myself far more tired than I thought I would be, but if you wish to have one, please, be my guest. But before you do, give me your hand.”

Emma doesn't question it, she simply extends the limb and lets the relief wash over her when the song stops once more.

“I apologise for doubting you Miss….Emma.” Regina almost whispers.

Emma doesn't miss the slip, but smiles and her decision is made. She doesn't need the liquid courage tonight. She walks towards Regina and peels back the duvet. She swallows the lump in her throat and climbs into the bed, slowly and one limb at a time, almost as if she's expecting to be yelled at.

Eventually, she is completely wrapped in the warmth that Regina’s bed offers, she can't fight the chills that are emanating from the nerves in her stomach and shivers slightly. Regina still notices.

“Would you like another blanket?” She asks softly, bordering on motherly.

Emma looks a tiny bit confused, she hadn't realised she was shivering. “No thanks, just need a minute to warm up.” Regina smiles back at her.

“For this to work you're going to need to be touching me.” Emma's eyes widen at Regina's words. Her brain short circuiting slightly. Touching Regina, in bed.

Tentatively Emma reaches her hand out and places a single digit on Regina's skin. She glances over and receives an eye roll in return. She takes a steadying breath and moves the rest of the hand onto the soft warm skin that is being offered. She stills every inch of her body when she hears a slight intake of breath coming from the other side of the bed.

Emma tries to calm her heartbeat and wills her body to succumb to sleep, but she can't. Her hand is getting balmy and she's not exactly in the most comfortable position for sleep.

Several minutes go by with nothing but silence filling the dark room before Emma hears Regina softly speak again, “I, would not be opposed to you spooning me, Em-ma.”

Emma’s eyes fly open and she almost yanks her hand away at the statement. She almost thinks she imagined it for a moment, until she feels Regina scooting closer to her side of the bed.

“Oh.” Is the only word that escapes from Emma's mouth. Regina moves her face in Emma's direction and her eyes flicker up to meet the green orbs.

“Unless you'd rather I spoon you?” The question whispered so quietly that Emma doesn't hear the first part of the sentence, she still understands though and in all of the fantasies she's ever had about Regina, she isn't sure they ever contained that question.

“Okay” she means either way, but she wants to let Regina decide what she's comfortable doing.

Regina turns towards Emma and when Emma tries to turn her back towards her, she places her hand on Emma's hip to prevent the movement, instead guiding her the other direction. Emma is now face to face with Regina, a hand still on her hip. Her eyes keep flickering between the woman's eyes and her lips. God, she wishes she could just lean forward the few inches that separate flesh.

“Hi.” Emma tries to break the tension but it only seems to make it more obvious. The exhalation of air ghosting on Regina’s lips.

“Emma, there is one thing we didn't try for our experiment.” The words so soft but so full of emotion.

“There is?” Emma hopes, she hopes beyond belief that Regina means what she thinks she means.

“There is.” Their eyes are locked, the emotions, the arousal, the love reflecting between the two. Emma knows this is it, she can't be wrong, there's nothing else in the world Regina could be talking about. She slowly inches forward, as slow as she possibly can, a tiny part of her screaming doubt and she's giving Regina the time to reject her.

There is no rejection however, Regina closes the gap, pushing their lips together.

The burst of light is ignored by both of them, deep down both knowing their first kiss would produce the effect. Emma doesn't want to think about that at the moment, no, all she wants is to continue kissing the woman she's loved since she first set eyes upon her, the woman whose tongue is now in her mouth.

Emma moans when she feels the hand that is on her hip begin to move towards her ass. She always knew Regina was secretly appreciative of her skinny jeans. When Regina squeezes her ass and pulls Emma closer their kiss breaks apart slightly.

Emma uses the space to start peppering kisses on Regina's face, she moves from her jaw over to her ear thriving on the moans that she is eliciting from Regina.

Emma loves it even more when she suddenly finds herself on her back with Her Queen straddling her. Regina's eyes glinting with a mischievous look. “I do believe that I spent my day touching you to help fix your problem, I believe a little reciprocation is in order Miss Swan.”

If Emma's panties weren't completely wet before, they definitely are now. Emma licks her lips and runs her eyes over the beautiful woman that is currently on top of her. “I believe that I can take care of any servicing you require, Madam Mayor.”

“Good. Have you ever been Queened, Em-ma?” Regina drags her name out like a moan. Yup, this is gonna be magical.

\--------

Several hours later when both are far too overstimulated and exhausted to do anything but cuddle, Emma laughs.

“Hey I can finally remember what song it was!” Regina lifts her head up from Emma's chest and looks curiously at her. Emma starts gently singing the song and Regina tries to place it. As soon as she realises what song it is she's hearing the word “Idiot” emerges from her mouth.

“I do have to say, the song was right, every little thing you do _is_ magic.” Emma laughs as she leans down to kiss an eye-rolling Regina.

\--------

Regina eventually discovers that it was indeed Emma's fault that she had a song stuck on repeat in her head. Turns out the Cookie Monster-ish creature's blood contained tiny little magical parasites called “ear worms”. They make you hear a song that reminds you of your True Love until you go insane, or well, have a True Love’s Kiss, whichever happens first.

Regina likes to taunt Emma with the song, having changed her ringtone to the classic song, she bought the album and loaded it into Emma's Bug one day, she also magicked Emma's alarm clock to play the song. Emma pretends to be mad, but she gets her revenge when she hums the song into Regina's sex on occasion when they make love, so she can't be too bothered by the teasing. 

**Author's Note:**

> The song Emma has stuck in her head is Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by the Police.


End file.
